weeping willow [closed solo; responding to willowheart's death]

The days had grown warmer still, but at last Summer's pelt had been well-groomed and thinned of the winter coat it had provided her. It was a beautiful day now that she'd gotten that handled, and the sun shone down on her radiant ginger-cream fur as the drifter strolled contentedly through the forest, leaving the relative safety of the upwalker settlement behind. She kept the road a safe distance nearby, trying to ignore the stench of the roaring metal cars that raced past intermittently as she moved alongside it on a parallel path. She had learned that the best way to avoid an accidental run-in with an unfriendly Clan cat was to stay near the edge of their borders, and most of the forest Clans had chosen the seemingly permanent road as one of them. She didn't care for a run-in today - at least not with a grumpy cat. Though it was unpleasant in many ways, and dangerous, too, Summer elected to try to make used of the road border. She was skilled with using it as a tool for her survival without putting herself too much at risk. It had helped to guide her to and from WindClan when she'd first arrived at the forest, and it had lead her to many other destinations prior, as well.

As with all tools, it carried a risk. It wasn't uncommon for Summer to find injured and slaughtered animals on the road; however, nothing ever truly prepared her for the experience. As she peaked a small hill, her rich blue gaze fell on a stark white shape contrasting the blackness of the road. The flame-pointed drifter froze immediately, processing what it was she was seeing and what she'd discovered. She could scent the distinct musty fragrance of ThunderClan wafting around her, and judging by the scenery she judged she must be in their stretch of road border; however, the initial identity of whatever furry creature lay motionless on the road was a mystery. Still, there was a sinking feeling of uneasiness in Summer's stomach. Something about the shine of the fur, the way it fluttered in the breeze as another car howled past, the location... It wasn't the first body that Summer had seen, and it wasn't even the first she'd seen since arriving at the forest, either, but something about this discovery set her fur prickling.

Gathering all the road-traversing skills that she could and steeling herself for what she would find, Summer slipped down the small hill and traveled swiftly towards the road. Her ears flicked intently each way - back and forth - to seek the next car. She could hear one roaring from the upwalker settlement, but it would be on the far side of the road (not a guaranteed protection, but they often seemed to adhere to the flat, colored lines on the path) and a pawful of heartbeats before it reached her. She knew she would have time to slip to the road and retrieve whatever had been killed there. Yet as she stopped at the side of the scratchy black concrete, she froze, staring for several long, sad moments at the shape. Now that she was closer it was clear it wasn't a white pelt, but a pale cream with a lighter belly. A brown-tipped tail stretched out from the motionless feline body, and Summer felt an unusual sadness fall over her. She never recognized the bodies crushed by careless cars - it was one of the blessings of being a drifter.

But Summer recognized Willowheart of ThunderClan immediately.

Summer's gaze softened and hardened at once; there was a lump in her chest that she could feel her heart beating against. The car that had approached from the upwalker settlement screamed by, sending a small sprinkle of grit and debris out around it. Summer winced at the stench and stinging pebbles that hit her, but she remained motionless otherwise. She had to bear it; I can bear that much with her. The loner flicked her ears, confirming that no more vehicles were coming, and then she surged forward, approaching the motionless body. She wasted no time examining Willowheart, for the stench of death was clear even through the reek of the road; there was no hope for the sweet she-cat and nothing to be gleaned from a time-wasting glance. Summer dragged Willowheart off the scorching path and back into her homeland, pulling her into the tree-line and onto a bed of lichen and moss.

The drifter stared at Willowheart for several long moments. Her body was crushed; her pelt was stained and striped with the mark of a car that didn't even bother to stop. Summer lowered her head and murmured softly, "You were out here alone, darling... You didn't deserve to be alone." In her mind played the last conversation she'd had with the pretty Clan cat; Willowheart had seemed so lonely and sad. She'd expressed sorrow that she didn't spend more time with her Clanmates. Had this been a result of her solitude, or an unfortunate accident? The drifter leaned forward, grooming Willowheart's ruffled, dirty head. "There, there, Willowheart.... Just rest." Summer spoke the words she always spoke - short, simple, empty words, but they comforted her. "You're safe now, darling. As safe as a wild cat can be."

She spent some time grooming her friend, but eventually she knew she'd need to depart or risk being blamed for what had occurred. Summer stood and stepped away, and her eyes landed on a golden-orange flower. She moved over to it and pinched the head off with her teeth before turning back to Willowheart, still motionless on the earth. Summer sighed and placed the flower on the pale she-cat's side, resting in the fur of her rib-cage. "I promise I'll do my best not to get lonely," Summer assured her deceased friend. "It would be easier if you were still here." She sighed again and murmured once more, "Just... Just rest, sweetheart." And then she turned and left, back towards the upwalker settlement - away from the excitement of the forest. Suddenly she wasn't really feeling like an outing adventure anymore.